| 19 September 2023
| Christie Anto
New Delhi, India - In a momentous development, the long-pending Women's Reservation Bill, which seeks to provide a 33 percent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today during the ongoing special session of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hailing September 19 as a "historic day," urged the Opposition to unite and unanimously pass the bill named 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam,' which has languished for nearly three decades.
"On this historic occasion in the new Parliament building, as the first proceeding of the House, the beginning of all the Parliamentarians opening gateways for women power is being done with this crucial decision," Prime Minister Modi announced in Lok Sabha.
The Prime Minister emphasized that his government is committed to advancing "our resolve of women-led development," and he believes that 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' will further empower India's democracy. He acknowledged the debates and discussions surrounding women's reservation in the past and appealed to lawmakers to extend their support to the bill.
"We want more and more women to join the development process of the country," he added before Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal presented the bill to lawmakers.
Currently, women make up almost half of the country's 950 million registered voters but hold only 15 percent of parliamentary seats and approximately 10 percent of seats in state legislatures.
If the Women's Reservation Bill is approved, it will significantly increase the number of women Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha from the current 82 to 181, according to Meghwal.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a leader of the Congress party, credited his party for the women's quota bill. He stated, "Former Congress governments under Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh had consistently tried to pass the bill to provide reservation for women." Chowdhury also claimed that the Women's Reservation Bill, which was passed in the Rajya Sabha during the Congress regime under Manmohan Singh, was still pending.
However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah countered this claim, asserting that the bill had already lapsed.
Key Highlights of the Women's Reservation Bill (Constitution One Hundred and Twenty Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023:
1. New Clause in 239AA: Seats shall be reserved for women in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, with one-third of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) also being reserved for women. Additionally, one-third of the total seats to be filled by direct elections shall be reserved for women through a law determined by Parliament.
2. New Article - 330A: Reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, with one-third of seats reserved for SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs) also being reserved for women. Furthermore, one-third of the total seats to be filled by direct elections to the Lok Sabha shall be reserved for women.
3. New Article - 332A: Reserved seats for women in every state Legislative Assembly, with one-third of seats reserved for SCs and STs also being reserved for women. Moreover, one-third of the total seats to be filled by direct elections to the Legislative Assembly shall be reserved for women.
4. New Article - 334A:Reservation shall come into effect after the delimitation is undertaken following the publication of relevant figures from the first census. The rotation of seats for women shall take effect after each subsequent exercise of delimitation.
The journey to introduce a bill providing reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies began in 1996 when the Deve Gowda-led United Front government first introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha. Despite being referred to a joint parliamentary committee, the bill failed to garner approval and lapsed with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
Subsequent governments, including the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, attempted to reintroduce the bill in the Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999, 2002, and 2003, but it continued to face opposition and lapses. In 2008, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government successfully passed the bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2010, but it never received consideration in the Lok Sabha, ultimately lapsing with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014.
The reintroduction of the Women's Reservation Bill now offers renewed hope for gender equality in Indian politics. As the bill progresses through Parliament, it remains to be seen if India will finally take this significant step towards empowering women and ensuring their representation in the highest decision-making bodies of the nation.
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